About Slate River Mill (aka Hocker Mill)
See more info about Slate River Mill (aka Hocker mill), once owned by the Johan Adam Hocker family, including it’s specific location.
Persistence Pays Off? Maybe. Maybe Not.
I wrote previously about finding information that Adam P. Hocker, son of George and Margaret (Prevost) Hocker of Buckingham County, Virginia, had served in the Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry (Lee’s Guards) during the Civil War and died at the Battle of Rich Mountain. However, information I’ve recently located calls that into doubt.
The 1860 census indicates that Adam P. Hocker was a miller.1 This is fitting as I found an account, dated 8 May 1863, for the purchase of 180½ bushels of wheat by the Confederate Army in which “Mr. A.P. Hocker” was dissatisfied with the price of $487.35.2 A further note from 24 July 1863, signed by A.P. Hocker indicates that he received $812.25 for his wheat. On 19 January 1864, Adam appointed William Hocker as his attorney to receive any money due him from the Commissionary department of the Confederate States. So, during the war Adam was working as a miller and supplying wheat to the Confederate army.
Additionally, in looking up the members of Company E, 20th Virginia Infantry, the only name that looks close to “Hocker” was that of “E.T. Hocher.” E.T. signed up for 12 months service in Buckingham County on 20 May 1861 and appears on the muster roll for 30 June to 10 September 1861.3 The Battle of Rich Mountain occurred 11 July through 13 July 1861 in Randolph County, [West] Virginia.4 So, he likely would have been a participant at the battle.
I believe that “E.T. Hocher” may have been Edmund T. Hocker, son of George and Margaret (Prevost) Hocker and youngest brother of Adam P. Hocker. Ed reenlisted in the war on 9 February 1862 with Company H, 22nd Battalion of Virginia volunteers to serve the whole war.5 Subsequent records show him as Edmund T., Edward T. and E.T. Hocker. The muster rolls show him as serving through 1865 though he was injured 1 July 1863. Ed also survived the war, appearing in the 1880 census with the Nathan Payne family in the Slate River district in Buckingham County, Virginia.6 He died 23 December 1891.7
Adam’s brother, Amos H. Hocker, also served in Civil War. He enlisted on 7 February 1862 for one year as a private in Company K, 2nd Regiment Virginia Artillery.8 This regiment disbanded in May 1862. Amos then enlisted on 28 July 1862 for 6 months in Company C, 25th Battalion VA Infantry.9 He actually served through 1865. He was hospitalized for rheumatism from July to September in 1863. He also requested a 25-day furlough on 30 August 1864, but was present with his unit in November and December. He was apparently captured by the Union on 6 April 1865 in Nottoway County, Virginia—possibly at Sailor’s Creek when General Sheridan cut off nearly a quarter of the retreating Confederate Army—and sent to Point Lookout, Maryland. He was released on 13 June 1865.
So, it doesn’t look like Adam served in Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry and didn’t die in the Battle of Rich Mountain. So, what happened to him?
The answer may lie in his brother Amos’ letter requesting a furlough in August 1864. Here’s what he wrote:
Camp 25 Va Batt
Chaffin’s Farm/30 Aug 1864
Col.
I respectfully ask a Furlough for Twenty-five Days under the following circumstances, to go to Buckingham County [?] my Father died during last year & willed me an amount in money, one third of which [I know not] between $5000 & $6000 I have already lost by reason of the act of Congress reducing the currency & my not being able to obtain a Furlough at the time to make an investment, one of my brothers has since died & left important business requiring my attention; the remnant of money left me was invested in Court Bonds, which the Shff informed me will now be paid & has avised [sic] to come & received the same I desire to make a permant [sic] investment of these funds which is the object of this application. I saw Genl. Ewell on yesterday & stated these facts to him who voluntary consented to approve Furlough for the time asked.
Very Respectfully
Yr Obs. Svt.
A.H. Hocker
Co. C 25 VA Batt
Did you see that? He wrote: “one of my brothers has since died…” Both of his younger brothers George W. and Edmund T. survived the war. Thus, Adam P. Hocker—his only other brother—died sometime shortly before 30 August 1864.
Persistence does pay off; but often it’s in unexpected ways.
Wordless Wednesday: H.W. Hocker Manufacturing Company
H.W. Hocker Manufacturing Company, Lewes, Delaware; image from the Library of Congress
I came across a series of photos from the H.W. Hocker (Harold Willets Hocker) Manufacturing Company of Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware during a search at the Library of Congress’ website. You can go see more images there.
Harold Willets Hocker, son of John William and Georgia (Tunnell) Hocker, was born 23 April 1892 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and died in December 1981 in Lewes, Sussex County, Delaware. He was a descendant of Johan Georg Hacker of Erdenheim, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Mystery Monday: In Search of My Hershey Family Connection
I’ve been focusing recently on some of my female ancestors for whom I have little or no information. With surnames like Leedy, Frantz, Landis and Hershey, these are well-established—and I would have thought—well-documented families. When it comes to my ancestors, not so much.
Take my 5x great grandmother Mary (Hershey) Hocker, for example. According to my information, “Sophia Maria Hershey” was born on 5 August 1769 and died sometime after her husband Johan Adam Hocker Jr. (died 1821), but before the final settlement of his estate on 1 April 1839.1 I’ve only seen her as “Mary Hocker” in documents, so I’m not sure about the name Sophia. I’ve been able to find out nothing about about her family.
About Adam and Mary
Although, I presume she and Adam were married prior to December 1787—their first child was born in August 1788—I do not have a marriage date or location for them. Adam was living in Harrisburg by that time.2 However, they could have met in Lancaster County before he left home.
Between their marriage and the late 1790s, Adam and Mary lived in Harrisburg.3 Adam was listed as a tavern owner, cordweiner, and tanner in tax lists during this period.4 They had five children before 1800: John, Anna Barbara, George, Jacob, and Benjamin.5
By 1797, the family had likely moved out of town to Derry Township as their fourth son Jacob was baptized on 12 February 1797 in Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hummelstown.6 Adam owned a farm near Hummelstown, along Swatara Creek. The couple had three more children while living in Derry Township: Johan Adam (III), Benjamin, and Elizabeth.7
Adam died in November 1821.8 In Dec 1821, Jacob Hocker was appointed guardian of his younger brothers, Adam and Benjamin.9 Adam’s estate was divvied up amongst his heirs with land in Derry Township going to sons John and Jacob, and land in Swatara Township going to sons George and Adam. John and Jacob eventually sold their piece to their youngest brother Benjamin before they left Pennsylvania for Ohio.10
Religion
Adam Hacker was a Lutheran. He was baptized in Emanuel Lutheran Church in Brickerville and was confirmed there in 1780.11 He was a deacon at Salem Lutheran Church in Harrisburg in 1790 and 1793. His connection to the Lutheran Church is consistent throughout his life.
I’m not certain about Mary’s religion. Her children were baptized Lutheran—Anna and George in Salem Lutheran in Harrisburg12 and Jacob in Zion Evangelical Lutheran in Hummelstown—and she was buried with her husband in the Lutheran church cemetery in Hummelstown. However, the early Hershey family were known to be Mennonites. Given her birth year of 1769, Mary would have been born to the first or second generation of Pennsylvanian Hersheys. It’s very likely that she grew up in a Mennonite household, assuming, of course, that her maiden name actually was Hershey.
Not all the Hersheys remained Mennonites. For instance, Johannes “John” B. Hershey was the son of a Mennonite minister, was himself a Mennonite minister, but left the faith to become an integral part of the United Brethren in Christ church. What’s particularly interesting about this is that Adam and Mary Hocker’s eldest son John left the Lutheran church—his two eldest children were baptized at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hummelstown13—and became a minister for the River Brethren (aka Brethren in Christ) in Randolph Township, Montgomery County, Ohio.14
While I don’t believe these are the same church, they both originated in the German spiritual revival of the late 1700s and the leaders of both were originally Mennonites.15 I wonder what led John Hocker to change religions. Obviously, he felt very strongly to not only leave the church he was raised in, but to become a minister in his new church, too. Perhaps, he was influenced by a member of his mother’s family? It’s certainly something to think about.
Conclusion
I’ve not been able to find a “Sophia Maria” or even an unidentified Mary in available Hershey family information. I don’t know that she actually was a Hershey since I have no source for Wingeard’s information.
If you have information on Mary’s parentage or insight into the Hershey family, please drop me a line. I’d love to hear what you have to say.
Update
Looking through my database, I found an interesting bit of information. John Hocker’s daughter, Christianna, married John Hershey, son of Jacob and Maria (Hertzler) Hershey, in Montgomery County, Ohio on 21 Oct 1852. John Hershey was a descendant of Jacob and Barbara (Hiestand) Hershey of Lancaster County and his parents Andrew and Maria (Acker) Hershey.
Persistence Pays Off
In working through my Hocker family research, I’ve eventually come to George Hocker of Slate River Mills and his family. George’s two eldest sons have provided me with more than their fair share of speculation and frustration.
The 1850 census for District 2, Buckingham County includes George and his family:1
The household was comprised of:
- George Hocker, 49, Male, Farmer, $13,000, b. Buckingham
- Evalina Hocker, 35, Female, b. Buckingham
- Adam Hocker, 26, Male, Miller, $25, b. Buckingham
- Howel Hocker, 23, Male, Miller, $25, b. Buckingham
- Amanda Hocker, 18, Female, b. Buckingham
- George Hocker, 15, Male, None, b. Buckingham, attended school within the year
- Edmund Hocker, 14, Male, b. Buckingham, attended school within the year
- Margaret Hocker, 12, Female, b. Buckingham, attended school within the year
- James Sudbury, 25, Male, Farmer, b. Buckingham, person over 20 years who cannot read or write
In 1860, George and family and his son Adam are living in two adjoining households.2
- Adam Hocker, 33, Male, Miller, $0, $4600, b. Virginia
- George Hocker, 50, Male, Farmer, $15,000, $13,450, b. Virginia
- Evaline T. Hocker, 45, Female, b. Virginia
- George [W?] Hocker, 29, Male, Manager, b. Virginia
- Edmund T. Hocker, 24, Male, b. Virginia
- Margaret G. Hocker, 22, Female, b. Virginia
I haven’t been able to locate [Amos] Howell in the 1860 census. Since Adam’s age is more in line with Howell’s from the 1850, I’ve wondered if this is not Adam, but Howell, but census ages are notoriously inaccurate, so…
In 1870, I’ve found Amos Howell Hocker. He was working as a farm manager in 1870 in Maysville, Buckingham County, Virginia.3 But I haven’t been able to locate Adam in 1870.
The 1850 census is the only record I’ve seen of there being two sons of George named Adam and Amos Howell. In my most frustrated moments, I’ve wondered if there really were actually two sons. Since I can’t find both of them in census records in the same year after 1850…
Well, I may have found my answer. Searching the web for random mentions of either, I hit upon “Buckingham County: The Battle of Rich Mountain” on the slate river ramblings… website. It quotes a speech supposedly prepared in 1884 in which the name “Adam Hocker” is listed amongst those Buckingham County men killed at the Battle of Rich Mountain on 11 Jul 1861.
Adam, an unmarried man in 1860, would have been likely to volunteer to fight a year later. If he died in 1861, that would explain why I’ve never found him in later census records.
Next steps: to prove that Adam joined Company E of the 20th Virginia Infantry (Lee’s Guards).
Hocker vs. Hocker, 1848 (Virginia Court of Appeals)
Johan Adam Hocker, son of Johan George and Anna Margaretha (Weidman) Hacker, died suddenly on 4 Feb 1847 at Slate River Mills, Buckingam County, Virginia.
How do I know this? Apparently, after his death there was a disagreement in the family over which will was the correct will to be entered into probate. The result was Hocker vs. Hocker & als, a court case brought before the Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals. You can read about it in volume 4 of the Reports of Cases in the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia.1
Court cases can provide valuable genealogical information. From this case, I got the names of the following heirs:
- son Robert K. Hocker
- son George Hocker
- son John Hocker
- daughter Margaret Patterson
- E. Glover [daughter Elizabeth]
- son William Hocker
Robert Hocker wanted a will from 26 Feb 1836 entered into probate. George, John and Margaret’s husband Robert Patterson opposed Robert’s submission. Instead, they wanted a later document, dated 18 Jan 1847, entered into probate. The County court apparently admitted the 1836 will, while the Circuit Court overruled this decision, admitting the later document as a codicil to the 1836 will. The Appeals court apparently disagreed with the Circuit Court, ruling that Adam Hocker’s document, dated 18 Jan 1847, was to be rejected.
What family information have you found in court records?
Happy Memorial Day!
William Hocker Jr. in his Navy uniform
In honor of those who have served and those still serving in our nation’s military, happy Memorial Day! May we never forget your service and sacrifice.
Irony in Genealogy
I suppose I shouldn’t by surprised by it. And yet…
When I started researching Mennonite families in Lancaster County, it wasn’t because I thought I was related to them. I started researching the Hoovers of Lancaster, hoping that I’d find some clue, some information, some connection that would lead me to more information on my ancestor George Hoover and his father Michael. I wound up researching the Hoovers’ neighbors, associates and friends to try to learn more about the Hoovers.
Along the way, I discovered that the people I was researching were Mennonites. Kind of a stretch to tie them to my Lutheran Hoover ancestors—at least in the immigrant generation. But by then, I’d invested so much time in the research, had started to build a sense of the community and connections between people, and… well, I was hooked. My ancestors may not have been members of this community, but, nonetheless, I was starting to feel connected to it.
Then I started to find some familiar surnames. However, I recognized these names from my Hacker/Hocker family research. Not too surprising, I guess. After all my Hockers did initially settle in Lancaster County. What was surprising was finding that these were Mennonite names. Landis. Hershey. Frantz.
So, this community that my ancestors didn’t belong to? These families that I wasn’t related to? They did belong and I am related. Just not in the manner I initially hoped.
Small world, huh?
Surname Saturday: Samuel Krehl Leedy
Once again it’s time for Surname Saturday. I’ve finished all my great great grandfathers, so it’s time to move back a generation This week I’m writing about my 3x great grandfather, Samuel Krehl Leedy, father of my 2x great grandmother Lillian Ainsley (Leedy) Hocker.
Samuel was born 30 October 1829, most likely in Buffalo Township, Perry County, Pennsylvania.1 He was the son of John and Catharine (Krehl) Leedy.2 Samuel died 19 March 1912 in Upper Mifflin Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and was buried on the 22nd in Hill Cemetery near Buffalo, Perry County, Pennsylvania. He died of apoplexy. Samuel was a farmer.
About 1856, he married Sarah Parsons, presumably the daughter of Anthony and Catharine (Bowerman) Parsons, of Perry County. She was born in Feb 1833.3 I have death dates for her from 1926 through 1930, but nothing proven. She died sometime after the 1920 census enumeration where she was living with her daughter Grace and her husband William Hunt.4
Samuel and Sarah (Parsons) Leedy had children:
- Wilhelmina Leedy was born ca 1857 in Perry County. Minnie married Harry Delcamp and was living in Philadelphia in 1932 when her sister Mary (Leedy) Sheesley died.
- John Harbough Leedy was born 29 Oct 1858 in Perry County and died 2 Jun 1936. He married Emma Catharine Rouch on 17 Jan 1883.
- Kirk Leedy died Apr 1859 and was buried in Hill Cemetery.
- Lillian Ainsley Leedy was born 4 May 1861 in Perry County and died 20 Jan 1942 in Cumberland County. She married about 1881 Albert Curtin Hocker of Swatara Township, Dauphin County.
- Mary Leedy was born in Nov 1863 and died in 1932. She married Hiram Sheesley on 25 Feb 1886 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. She died Saturday, 26 November 1932 in Fort Hunter, Pennsylvania.
- Grace Leedy was born 6 Oct 1865 in Perry County and died 6 Jun 1935 in Harrisburg. She married William Hunt on 27 Oct 1887 in Harrisburg.
- Samuel Kirk Leedy was born 20 Nov 1867 in Perry County and died 28 Jun 1946 in Roxbury, Pennsylvania. He married Mary (___).
- Ulysses S. Grant Leedy was born in 1871 in Perry County and died 14 May 1956 in Cumberland County. Grant married Mary C. (___) about 1905.
- Harry Leedy was born 28 Sep 1875 and died 2 Aug 1876. He is buried with Kirk Leedy in Hill Cemetery.
Confederate History Month at Fold3
Fold3.com is providing free access to their Confederate records this month. My confederate ancestry is verrrry limited, but I thought I’d check it out.
Here are the enlistment papers for my ancestor James Benjamin Houdeshell, using the common alternative spelling of Howdyshell.
Benjamin enlisted in Company A, 14th Regiment of the Virginia Militia as private. He was 20 years old. He mustered in on 17 September at Wardensville, Hardy County, Virginia for 6 months. He traveled 36 miles to enlist.
The record just previous to Benjamin’s was for Adam Howdyshell. Adam enlisted in Company A, 14th Regiment, Virginia Militia on 17 September 1861 in Wardensville, Hardy County, Virginia with Captain Dinges for six months. He, too, had come 36 miles to enlist.
The record just after Benjamin’s was for Westfall Howdyshell. Notice how, once again, all the details match.
These men were likely Benjamin’s older brothers Adam and George W. Houdeshell. The three appeared at Winchester on the muster rolls for September 10th through December 12th, 1861.
To the best of my knowledge, all three survived the war. Benjamin and George went on to marry sisters from up north—Phebe and Mariah Mayes from Snow Shoe Township, Centre County, Pennsylvania. Benjamin settled near his wife’s family in Pennsylvania while the rest of his family moved west to Ohio and Missouri.
I also found a record of a John Howdershell who was allegedly a member of the Imboden Rangers and took part in the attack on the the B&O railroad. But I do not know if this was a relative or even possibly their brother John W. Houdeshell. This John was captured on 28 Oct 1862 and sent to Cairo, Illinois on 13 Nov 1862.1